Footage of a great white shark attacking a camera was released earlier this week.

A recently released footage has been bringing amazement as it shows a great white shark going straight towards and attacking an underwater camera. This had been submerged by a scientist and was used to try and study the creatures.

Massachusetts’ Division of Marine Fisheries is the one to have released this new video. It did so by posting the footage on its Facebook page with the description “Every week is #sharkweek for DMF Scientist Greg Skomal!”.

Great White Shark Attacking an Unusual Prey

Scientists with the Mass Division of Marine Fisheries have been studying the great white shark by taking underwater videos of the predator. They did so with some help from a GoPro camera, which was also the unexpected victim.

Greg Skomal, a researcher, and his crew from the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy recorded the footage on Monday afternoon.

“I had the camera on a pole in the water and the shark was swimming and I’m thinking, ‘I’ll get a great view of the face of the shark and that will help us identify it.’ It kept coming and then opened its mouth and bit it,” Skomal was reported as stating by a media source.

According to Skomal, both he and his team were surprised by this turn of events, which no one was expecting. Together, the researchers reported having filmed “hundreds” of sharks. However, the great white shark attacking on Monday was the first ever to do so.

The scientists state that they are still unsure what might have caused the female great white shark to try and take a chomp of the underwater camera.

Chomp on the Camera to Greet It?

Skomal stated that this all new behavior to all of them. So the team is hoping to get “to know” this great white shark. The researchers are looking to observe and study the behavior of this particular specimen.

The team considers that the bite was “exploratory” in nature. So the shark was seemingly just trying to get ‘acquainted’ with the camera. The scientists point out that, had the bite been predatory, the GoPro would have gotten destroyed.

However, the camera is seemingly fine and escaped unscathed. The great white shark attacking it was not one of the 110 tagged by the team. So the researchers are now reviewing their footage to see if anyone can look for a marking and identify it.

August night will get lighted up by two meteor showers, the Perseids and Delta Aquariids.

Meteor showers are often easily predicted, and they come in cycles as the Earth passes through debris fields in space on its annual trek around the sun. This August, there will be two meteor showers going on at the same time in the night sky. In fact, they have already begun and are both approaching peak activity.

150 Meteors Per Hour in Two Meteor Showers

When our planet passed through the trail of the comet Swift-Tuttle, the highly anticipated Perseid meteor shower began as predicted on July 17. However, it will not hit peak activity until August 12. At the same time, the Delta Aquarid shower began in the last week of July and will continue until August 13. This means that every evening for the next two weeks will likely put on quite the show for sky gazers.

There are some simple tips to making the most of your experience if you venture out to catch a glimpse of the shooting stars. Your biggest opponent will be light pollution, especially if you live in a large city. The farther you can get out into the country the better. When you begin to look up, give your eyes some time to adjust to the darkness so you can see as many of the up to 150 meteors per hour as possible.

To avoid neck strain, you might consider finding a place where you can recline. A comfy blanket on a bed of grass is perfect. Weather and clouds are your next obstacle, but there is little one can do about that. This year, the Moon will also be a more than possible obstacle in seeing the meteorite showers. The peak period will be close to the month’s full moon, which is predicted to be very bright. However, although possibly harder to spot, the meteorites that will nonetheless be viewable will definite offer a memorable view.

These meteor showers happen fast and are usually pretty bright, so you won’t need binoculars or a telescope. In fact, those devices only narrow your field of vision. With two meteor showers happening at once, they will be all over the sky, sometimes several streaking across at once.

According to researchers, every year, approximately 10 children die in Phoenix due to heatstroke caused by being left unattended in a hot car. It’s a gruesome statistic that no parent wants to be a part of, yet, these accidents still happen. Just last week, two infants died less than 24 hours apart after their families forgot them in the car at over 100 degrees.

7-month-old Zane Endress Was with His Grandparents

The first victim of the heat wave was Zane Endress, a 7-month-old boy who was left in the care of his grandparents. Zane was in the car for four hours during an extremely humid and hot day. When emergency responders arrived at the scene, they were unable to do anything more than pronouncing the little boy dead.

Josiah Riggins Accompanied His Father to Church for the Last Time

Less than 24 hours after Zane’s untimely death, the father of Josiah Riggins decided to leave for church. That is, after spending two hours wandering about the house without once stopping to look for his toddler.

Mr. Riggins left for church with Josiah in the car. He never checked the backseat, so when he returned to his vehicle after the sermon, the infant was dead.

At the moment, Mr. Riggins is cooperating with the authorities, his culpability being established by an investigation.

The Numbers Are Alarming

In the last twenty years, NoHeatStroke.org has found evidence of 729 children that died of heatstroke after being left in a hot car. In Arizona alone, approximately 18.1 per 1 million children die a preventable and horrifying death.

The authorities are advising parents to triple check the backseat before exiting the car. Moreover, they are advised to place their phone or purse on the backseat of the car, next to the child, so that they would have additional reasons to check before leaving the car.

On July 28, 1917, approximately 10,000 African Americans marched silently in New York City. Fifth Avenue was filled with well-mannered individuals who were trying to send a loud message by walking in complete and utter silence. Now, a century after the march took place, things seem to have changed for the better, but how good are they?

The Silent Parade Protested Brutality Against African Americans

Nearly 10,000 individuals took part in the Silent Parade, the women and children sporting white clothes, while the males were rocking black outfits. All were mourning the lives of their brethren who were unjustly murdered by a profoundly racist society.

The thousands of African American individuals which flooded the streets of New York City were protesting gratuitous violence against African Americans, the East St. Louis riots killing hundreds a couple of months before.

At the time, the protests were fueled by public acts of violence against black individuals. From lynchings to murders, African Americans suffered at the hand of white supremacists and Woodrow Wilson did not do anything to help them. In fact, a big part of the protest was dedicated to Wilson who promised to promote black rights and put a definitive stop to lynching, but failed to do so upon taking office.

How Much Has Changed in 100 Years?

A century has passed since the Silent Parade and, unfortunately, African Americans are still fighting for their rights in some parts of the country. Even after America was ruled by a black president, movements like #BlackLivesMatter are still, unfortunately, relevant.

In honor of the Silent Parade, a group of art students is planning to recreate it, the message remaining the same.

White police officers are still shooting black individuals without too much of a provocation, while both media and influential political figures propagate racial stereotypes. Of course, people are no longer being lynched, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.

The POTUS now has his eyes set on transgender individuals currently serving in the US Military.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump tweeted that transgender individuals will not be welcomed in the US military under his command, “in any capacity.” Naturally, his statement gave birth to quite a stir seeing as the Pentagon had just lifted the ban that stopped transgender individuals from serving in the US military.

Public Figures Immediately Reacted to the Transgender Ban on Social Media

Following “tradition” and posting from his personal Tweeter account instead of the official POTUS one, Donald Trump shared with all his followers a piece of controversial news. According to him and his “Generals and military experts” transgender individuals require “tremendous” medical costs and they are no longer welcomed to serve in the US Military.

Almost immediately after the tweet was released, celebrities started sharing their two cents, accusing the POTUS of bigotry.

While some preferred to maintain a diplomatic approach, focusing on the idea that Donald Trump is currently stopping healthy Americans from serving their country based on their sexual identification, other, more vocal celebrities, turned to insults.

Laverne Cox, one of the stars of Netflix’s hit show, Orange Is the New Black, issued a lengthy statement sharing the stories of some of her transgender friends who were wrongly treated by US Army personnel while serving their country.

She continued by stating that, in light of the latest attempt at reversing all Obama policies, transgender individuals are no longer feeling safe in a country that some are even trying to protect, risking their lives for the man who wishes to strip them of all their hard-earned rights.

Summing It Up

The man who is currently spending approximately $130,000 per month from public money to conveniently accommodate the US Military in Trump Tower is complaining that a couple of thousands of transgender soldiers are too much of a financial burden for the United States. Currently, the public opinion seems to revolt, some even hinting at a refusal of compliance. It will be interesting to see how this new transgender ban will be enforced.

According to the administration, United States president Donald Trump has fired James Comey from his post as FBI director. He reportedly did this because of the way he handled the inquiry regarding Hillary Clinton’s emails. The White House made an official announcement and confirmed that Comey is indeed no longer the FBI chief.

Comey, no longer FBI director

The announcement shocked absolutely everyone involved in the United States politics. Especially those in Washington. However, on the other side, Democrats are saying that Trump fired Comey because he was also looking into some connections between his presidential campaign and Russia. This decision also comes just after last week, Comey also gave false information to the Congress about the same controversial topic: Clinton’s emails.

According to reports, president Trump wrote a letter to the former FBI chief. In it, he said that he is doing this at the recommendation of United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions. According to the letter, Sessions thinks that Comey is not capable of effectively leading the FBI. Also, that the Department of Justice wishes for a “fresh start”. According to news reports, Comey was in Los Angeles when he saw the news on television that he was no longer the FBI director. He reportedly started laughing because he thought that it was some kind of joke. Comey, 5-years old, was only four years into his 10-year term as FBI director. The White House announced the search for a successor would start immediately. It is worth noting that this is the second time an FBI director has been fired.

The official reason

As for the official cause for which Trump decided to fire Comey, people have begun doubting the White House’s story. Especially because previously, Donald Trump praised the former FBI director for the way he took care of the investigation. However, on Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said that the conclusion the former director reached in the Clinton emails investigation was simply wrong. He refused to accept that he made a mistake. So, there was no other choice but to remove him from his post. As for the Russian investigation, Democrats are saying that it is not a coincidence. Trump fired Comey because he was getting to close to what he was not supposed to find out. So, he had to go.

There are now more homes that rely solely on cell phones than residences with landlines.

The latest report shows that there are now more homes that rely solely on cell phones than residences with landlines. This cements the general trend towards more mobile solutions, even if the survey difference is still slight.

Good Bye Landlines, Hello Cell Phones?

This new report was carried out and released by the Centers for Disease Control. Data for this study was gathered in between July to December 2016. After analyzing it, the survey team established that 50.8 percent of the U.S. homes rely solely on wireless nowadays. At a very slight but still very significant difference, the remaining 49.2 percent have a landline plugged in and working.

Although the margin is very slim, this is the first time that cellphones surpassed landlines. This change is reflected in the survey results themselves. Over the same period in 2015, landlines were still above wireless phones.

This also shows the quite significant rise of the wireless-only homes. These increased in frequency by 2.5 percentage points in just a year’s time.

The CDC’s National Health Interview Survey Includes over 19,950 households. This study is specifically targeted at tracking the number of active landlines.

According to the survey, the rate of cellphone-only households was highest for a particular age group. Over 71 percent of all adults between 25 to 34 years old have stopped keeping a landline. This rate also seemed to lower as the age index went up. For example, older adults seem to still balance the two systems. Adults aged 65 or more are also more likely to use a landline as less than a quarter live in wireless-only houses.

The Study Also Found People With Rarely Used Or Non-Existent Telephone Services

The landline to cellphone battle also depended on the ownership of the houses. The survey found that the rate of cellphone-only homes increased when the adults rented their houses. More than 71 percent of those who rented relied on a wireless connection. In contrast, this value reduced to 41 percent for those that owned a house.

Having a roommate also seems to tip the scales. Almost 84 percent such adults rely solely on a cellphone connection. Various other indices were also taken into account by the study. The team analyzed, for example, the residents’ income and also their health.

Also, the report included two other smaller but no less significant household categories. The researchers determined the number of people living without any telephone service at all. They also established the rate of households with an existing but rarely used landline.

While 3.2 percent of the analyzed U.S. homes used no phone services, another 38 percent had a landline but did not use it.

General Motors just expanded its Maven brand with the release of its latest service, the Maven Gig.

General Motors just expanded its Maven brand as the giant company announced that it would be launching a new service. Called the Maven Gig, this could be quite useful for freelance drivers. Initially released on Wednesday in San Diego, GM will be looking to increase its service’s area.

Maven Gig Is The Latest Release In This New Brand

General Motors, the Detroit-based automaker first rolled out the Maven brand back in 2016. This was presented as a car-sharing and mobility label and came with the Chevrolet Volt EVs. With its release of the Maven Gig service, GM will be looking to expand the users’ access to such vehicles.

“I would call it complimentary to, but also an evolution of what we’ve already been doing with the gig economy,” said Rachel Bhattacharya. She is the Maven Director of Commercial Mobility Strategy.

Through Gig, Maven will provide easy access to any gig economy workers looking for a vehicle for some ‘short stints’. Thanks to them, they will be able to take the car out for delivering food on demand or for serving groceries. Even for some ride sharing services.

Gig workers looking to book out a Maven Gig vehicle can do so $229 per week. This price will ensure unlimited miles and also the insurance as well as regular maintenance. Initially, Gig will offer access to the Maven’s Chevrolet Bolt EVs. Thanks to them, anyone that needs or wants to can become a freelance driver. The vehicle can also be easily returned once the driver finishes their job with them.

The Maven Gig will be added to the brand’s already available services. These include the Maven Express Drive for Lyft drivers and also the City, as well as a partnership with Uber.

GM Will Be Looking To Expand Its Maven Outreach

Bhattacharya stated that Maven would look to increase the outreach of its Maven service. Initially launched in San Diego, it will then continue being rolled out in California. It should next become available in San Francisco and Los Angeles sometime later this year. Eventually, they reach other market areas as well.

Estimates show that the number of freelance workers will increase. GM expressed its hopes that the Maven Gig will come as a helping hand by offering a vehicle solution.

Currently, Maven has over 35,000 registered users that use its app first to reserve a vehicle and then unlock its doors.

When the Michigan woman saw the ad for the Motor City Furry Con that was taking place in Novi, Michigan, she decided to groom her therapy dog and participate in what she thought will be a gathering of the fluffiest, therapy animals in the area. To her surprise, Link was the only four-legged fluffy attendee.

What Happened?

Cheryl Wassus is not the person to randomly stumble upon a convention ad and say to herself “I guess I’ll go check it out.” She volunteers at Pets for Vets, a non-profit organization that provides therapy dogs to struggling military veterans and learned that the Motor City Furry Con will be raising money for the non-profit organization. This led her to believe that all furry attendees will be therapy dogs waiting to be paired with a veteran in need.

Wassus even tried to do her homework, browsing the website the night before the convention, but she learned nothing of value, details being scarce on the web page. However, her confusion ultimately led to a fun day out, Link making friends among the participants, sniffing tails and posing for pictures.

Nobody was offended by Link and Wassus’ presence, the participants being happy to explain the details of their culture. Even more, at the end of the convention, Pets for Vets received approximately $10,000 in donations.

What are Furries?

The furry community is a wide subculture made out of individuals who adopt a new, furry persona. Unfortunately, the common opinion is that these costume-aficionados are sexual deviants. In reality, they are just people who love dressing up as furry two-legged animals of their own design.

The subculture’s main credo is the idea of intelligent animals living side by side with humans, or even replacing them. From this point on, every member of the community is free to embellish their costumes with all kinds of elements, coming up with complex background stories, and even engaging in role-playing sessions.

For those flirting with the idea, keep in mind that a full costume can cost up to a couple hundreds of dollars, designers working with various fabrics from fluffy plush to real fur. Some furries prefer to anthropomorphize real animals like foxes or wolves, while others create cute, furry chimeras.

On Wednesday, the White House announced president Donald Trump’s elder daughter Ivanka will be hired as a government employee and serve as assistant to the president. Ivanka’s husband, Jared Kushner, is currently serving as an unpaid senior adviser too.

Ivanka To Assist Her Father as Formal Adviser

The news hints at the value Trump places on the judgement of his daughter and son-in-law. Past presidents have also relied on family members for advice, but it is very rare for a U.S. Commander in Chief to give relatives a former role. Kushner’s nomination as senior adviser to the president sparked concerns that the move may violate federal anti-nepotism laws. The Department of Justice, though, said in January that the rules did not apply to the administration.

Last week, Ivanka said she had plans to help her dad as an informal adviser when Trump gave her a West Wing office. Sources at the White House said she was also about to get access to confidential and sensitive communications and briefings only the president has access to.

Her critics said that the arrangement would have shielded her from ethics and financial disclosure rules that govern all White House staff members. Critics also said that Ivanka was a federal employee technically but not formally, so, they urged the new Cabinet to acknowledge her as a federal employee.

Ivanka Pledges to Comply with Ethics Rules

On Wednesday, she announced she would personally advise the president but also comply with all the rules that apply to White House staffers. She added that she will serve as an unpaid employee just like her husband. She acknowledged that her role is “unprecedented” and said that she had worked with her personal advisers and the White House counsel to solve the legal issues.

Her lawyer Jamie S. Gorelick told the press that Ms. Trump will be bound by the White House ethics rules and soon file the necessary financial disclosures required by her new position.

Since her father’s inauguration, Ivanka distanced herself from her business interests amid rumors that conflicts of interest may be looming. In December, however, she assisted her father in a meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe even though her company was in talks with a Japanese-partially-owned apparel company for a deal which was later called off.Image Source: Flickr